Director: Fr. Carlos Cabecinhas * Proprietor: Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima (Portugal) * Quarterly publication * Year VIII * Nr. 31 * 2011/11/13 Shrine keeps on walking towards centennial of apparitions The Shrine of Fatima began, about the Shrine, we made available in our one year ago, a walk of seven years Internet site a set of contributions for of celebration of the centennial of the refl ection, prayer and animation of apparitions, which doesn’t intend to pilgrimages on the theme of this fi rst be only an evocation of the past, but, year of celebration of the centennial of rather, an occasion to spread the Mes- the apparitions. There you can fi nd, in sage of Fatima and to rekindle the con- several languages, texts of theological science of its richness and timeliness. refl ection, catechetical supplements, In this fi rst of seven years, the programs of prayer and of celebra- event that inspired the thematic itiner- tions, which we hope may have been ary was the apparitions of the Angel a valid contribution for those devotees to the three Little Shepherds in 1916. of Our Lady of Fatima throughout the With the theme “Most Holy Trinity, I world to live the theme of this year. adore You profoundly!”, we tried to Next pastoral year, which begins focus one’s attention on the centrality on November 27 and has as theme the of God in the Message of Fatima and question put by Our Lady to the seers to stimulate an attitude of adoration in “Are you willing to offer yourselves the pilgrims and devotees of Our Lady up to God?”, we are going again to of Fatima. make available these materials and The year’s theme guided the large supplements to all those who, at the celebrations, specially the large pil- Shrine or at large, wish to walk with grimages of days 12/13, May through us this celebration of the centennial of October. Besides that, there were many the apparitions. initiatives within this context held at Merry Holy Christmas! the Shrine. Aware, however, that these initiatives reach only those visiting Fr. Carlos Cabecinhas, Rector October 13: Pope Benedict XVI evokes Our Lady of Fatima At the end of the audience of October 12, Pope fering and accompany you, dear newly-weds, on your Benedict XVI evoked Our Lady of Fatima while ad- family journey still in its beginning”. dressing the youth, the sick and newly-wed couples. In this general audience, Benedict XVI recalled In the Vigil of October 12/13, anniversary of the the recent violence in Cairo and asked for prayers sixth apparition of Mary at Fatima, the Pope said: for peace and for respect for everyone: “This month “My thoughts go to Our Lady of Fatima, Whose of October invites us to persevere in praying the last apparition we recall tomorrow. To the Heavenly Rosary; may your families gather, this way, around Mother of God I entrust you, dear young people, so Our Heavenly Mother, in order to fully cooperate in that you may respond generously to God’s call. May the designs of salvation that God has over you”, he Mary be for you, dear patients, comfort in your suf- urged. 2 2011/11/13 Earth from Fatima Suggestion: in House-Museum of John Paul II Visit “Fatima Light The purpose of this project, which will ex- and Peace!” pand the museological space already exis- The exhibition “Fatima Light and tent, is to preserve the Peace” was inaugurated in August 2002 memory of John Paul and the number of its visitors has since II and impart to future sharply increased. In the year 2007, dur- generations the teach- ing the celebration of the 90th anniversary ings of John Paul II, the of the apparitions, the number of visitors message of his life and was the highest to date: 83,962; in 2010, his entire legacy. the number was 81,111. Fr. Pawel explains: Going through the several rooms of “We want to show that this permanent exhibition, located in the John Paul II wasn’t a simple tourist, but a true Rectory Building, what catches one’s at- Pastor, like St. Paul, a tention is, on the one hand, the value, the On October 12, the Shrine of Fatima, carrier of the Gospel and the Faith”. art and the magnifi cence of some objects Portugal, received a delegation from Po- On his turn, the Rector of the Shrine and, on the other hand, the simplicity and land, composed of the Director of the of Fatima said that “we know that Fatima the almost insignifi cant material value of House-Museum of the Family of Blessed was in the heart of the Pope, as he was many others. But the greatest value of John Paul II, Fr. Pawel Danek, and its de- in ours”. each piece is symbolical and emotional, signer, Mr. Jaroslaw Klaput. Fatima will be represented in the for it represents the abandonment, the This delegation came to Fatima in or- House-Museum of Wadowice in two seg- thanksgiving, the homage, the devotion, der to take to Wadowice a little of earth ments of the exhibition: in the space ded- the consecration of one person, one group retrieved from next to the Azinheira icated to the attempt on the life of John of people or even of a region or country to Grande (large Holm-oak) located near Paul II on May 13, 1981, and in the space Our Lady of Fatima. the Little Chapel of Apparitions, key allusive to his pontifi cal pilgrimages. The course through the exhibition be- place of the Shrine of Fatima. According to the Rector of the Shrine gins with a fi lm that recalls the main mo- The House-Museum is promoting the of Fatima, this symbolic link of Fatima to ments of the history and of the message reconstruction of the house, in Wado- John Paul II’s native country is cause for of Fatima under the look of one of their wice, where John Paul II was born in “joy and satisfaction, not only because protagonists, seer Lucia. As one advances 1920. In order to recall the places visited John Paul II visited Fatima three times, towards the exhibition itself, one sees a by Blessed John Paul II during his pil- but also because the faithful always saw great variety of small and large pieces of grimages, those in charge are collecting the pilgrim in him”. jewelry, objects of wax and plastic, bridal little amounts of earth from the localities gowns, regional wear, military uniforms, visited by this Pope. LeopolDina Simões a bicycle, liturgical vestments, rosaries, liturgical paraphernalia, etc. The true “crown jewel” of the exhibi- tion is really the precious crown which Are you willing to offer yourselves up to God? the statue of Our Lady of Fatima wears only during the great pilgrimages and on special occasions. This crown was donat- In the context of the be interested in learning more about the ed by the Portuguese women on October coming pastoral year Shrine’s theme for the coming pastoral 13, 1942, in thanksgiving to Our Lady and having in mind the year”. for Portugal being spared involvement in thematic cycle which the The program is scheduled to begin at World War II and has encrusted in it the Shrine started in 2010- 14h30 in “Convívio de Santo Agostinho” bullet donated by Blessed John Paul II, in 2011, the Rector of the Shrine of Fatima, (St. Augustine’s Foyer) with the opening gratitude for the Virgin having saved his Fr. Carlos Cabecinhas, has announced that of the exhibition “On the trail of Light, the life during the attempt on his life on May the session of presentation of the second Apparitions of Fatima”. 13, 1981, in St. Peter’s Square, Rome. year of preparation for the Centennial of Next, at 15h00, now in the Chapel of Specially two rooms recall the impact the Apparitions will be held on December the Death of Jesus, a musical performance of the devotion to Our Lady of Fatima in 1, 2011, in the Chapel of the Death of Jesus, follows and immediately afterwards the located in the area of Reconciliation, in the Rector of the Shrine will say a few words. the World: the room where are exhibited Complex of Most Holy Trinity Church. Isabel Varanda, from the Portuguese the donations made on the occasion of He also announced that the next pasto- Catholic University, presents at 15h30 the trips of the Statue of the Pilgrim Virgin ral theme proposed to pilgrims and visitors theme of the year; another musical perfor- and the room which recalls the visits of by the Shrine will be: “Are you willing to mance follows; and, immediately after- the Popes who turned pilgrims of Fatima offer yourselves up to God?” wards, Fr. Manuel Morujão, a Jesuit priest, and who wanted to leave, in this place, The presentation session is free of presents the topic “The offering of oneself a sign of their gratitude to the Heavenly charge and open to “organizers of pilgrim- to God – To live in oblation for the salva- Mother. ages, journalists, guides, priests, religious, tion of the world”. “Fatima Light and Peace” is closed on civil authorities, principals of schools of The session ends after another musical Mondays, in the afternoon of December Fatima and other individuals that may performance set for 17h45. 24, on Christmas Day and on January 1. 2011/11/13 3 Archbishop of Moscow presides over October’s Pilgrimage ing to Portugal accompanied by three follow Christ by loving His Mother: this groups of pilgrims from Russia and that is the way to holiness, the way to life’s he was going to tell all pilgrims that the goal”.